On-my-way texts and live van tracking for mobile groomers.
Tell the client you are 15 minutes out with one tap, from your business number. Or send a live link that shows the van coming. Fewer “where are you?” calls while you are driving, and a client who is ready at the door.
Two ways to say “we’re close”
One-tap ETA text
On the stop, tap 10, 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes. The client gets a text from your business number and the stop moves to On the way. Taps are de-duplicated, so a double-tap in a bumpy van does not send two texts. If a text is refused (opted out, outside quiet hours) the app says so instead of pretending it went.
Live van link
Start the trip on iPhone and the client gets a link to a page showing the van moving toward them and roughly how many minutes away it is. No app for the client. Copy or resend the link from the trip screen. It ends when you arrive, finish or end the trip. The owner chooses whether clients can see it at all.
The text thread lives on the stop.
Every mobile stop has its own two-way conversation. The groomer sees the gate code, the “she’s in the backyard” and the “can we rebook?” on the same screen as the pet’s notes and the payment.
- Sends from the business number, a number per van, or a number per groomer, whichever your shop uses
- Outside texting hours, replies are held and sent in the morning, and can be cancelled
- Agreement links and photo deliveries go out from the same stop
- When the stop is marked Done, the invoice is raised and a pay link can be texted
“About 15 minutes away”One-tap ETA from the stop
Live link to the vaniPhone with the GPS add-on
Agreement to signIf one is still unsigned
Photos of the finished groomWhen photo sharing is on
Pay linkIf you choose to send one at Done
Writing on-my-way texts clients appreciate
Whatever software you use, a few habits make ETA texts land well:
- Send when you leave the previous stop, not when you are pulling up. Ten to twenty minutes is enough time for most clients to put the dog on a lead and open the gate.
- Keep it short and from a number they know. A text from your business name gets read. One from an unknown number gets ignored.
- Say what you need. If you need power, water or a parking spot, ask the night before rather than at the curb.
- Respect quiet hours. An early-morning ETA is welcome. A rebooking reply at 10pm is not. Holding messages until morning keeps you on the right side of both clients and texting rules.
- Do not over-share location. A live link should show the van coming to that client and nothing else, and it should stop when you arrive.
ETA texts and live tracking: common questions
How do I send an on-my-way text to a grooming client?
Open the stop in the Animal Friends OS app and tap an ETA (10, 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes). The client gets a short text saying you are about that many minutes away, from your business number. The stop moves to On the way.
Can the client see where the van is?
Yes, with the live GPS add-on ($29.99 a month) and with your permission to share. Start the trip in the iPhone app and the client gets a link to a web page showing the van approaching, with no app to install. The page stops when you arrive, finish or end the trip.
Does live tracking show my other clients or my whole day?
No. The client’s page shows only the van on its way to them. It ends with the trip.
What if I lose signal while driving?
The phone queues location points while you have no signal and sends them when it reconnects, so the trip is not lost.
Does live tracking work on Android?
Not yet. Live van sharing is on iPhone today. Android groomers can send ETA texts and use two-way texting.
What about clients who opt out of texts, or late-night messages?
Opt-outs are respected and the app tells you when a text was refused. Messages outside your texting hours are held and sent when the window opens, and you can cancel a held message.
Which number do the texts come from?
Your business number, a number per van, or a number per groomer, depending on how you set up messaging.
Can clients text back?
Yes. Each stop has a two-way thread, so “the gate code is 1234” lands on the stop the groomer is looking at.
Let clients know you’re close, in one tap.
ETA texts and two-way texting are on every plan. Add live van tracking when you are ready.
No credit card to start. Month to month. Bring your clients and pets with you.